The disclosed embodiments relate generally to medical devices and more particularly to an insertion device for delivery of a mesh carrier into a body of a patient.
The disclosed embodiments have application to a wide variety of surgical procedures. For example, one such procedure is directed to urinary incontinence and includes fixing an implant to tissue within a body of a patient to provide support for the urethra. Another such procedure includes fixing an implant to bodily tissue of a patient to support a bladder of the patient.
Mesh carriers may be placed within a body of a patient to provide anchoring points for medical implants. In some procedures, it is necessary for a practitioner, such as a physician, to insert a mesh carrier into bodily tissue of the patient at a location not easily visible or accessible to the practitioner. For example, some locations are not visible or easily accessible due to internal obstructions, such as the pubic bone. Known insertion devices can be used to position a mesh carrier at a first location within bodily tissue and to fix the mesh carrier to the tissue. However, in such procedures where the location is not easily visible or easily accessible, it may be difficult to maneuver the known insertion device around such obstructions and delivering the mesh carrier to a desired location in bodily tissue. Furthermore, the practitioner may require a larger incision at the incision site in order to allow ample room to rotate and/or pivot the known insertion device within the body in order to reach the desired location. In such an instance, the rotating and/or pivoting of the medical device may cause unintended stretching or tearing of tissue. Additionally, it may become necessary to remove the known insertion device from the body to better position it at the incision site. Unnecessary insertion, over-insertion, or excessive rotation could, therefore, induce trauma to the patient.
Thus, a need exists for an insertion device that has a configuration that facilitates insertion of an implant or a mesh carrier for an implant. For example, a need exists for an insertion device that facilitates insertion around or behind an internal obstruction, such as the pubic bone.